


I'm Coming Home

by XxToBoldlyGoxX



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-16
Packaged: 2017-12-29 13:19:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxToBoldlyGoxX/pseuds/XxToBoldlyGoxX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of the Enterprise's five year mission, McCoy is reminded of his past and decides to make amends with his ex wife and daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Exit Plan

If there was one thing in life that McCoy regretted, it was not saying goodbye to his daughter when he enlisted in Starfleet.

At the time, he had had every intention to say goodbye to her, had it not been for his wife and the amount of alcohol he had consumed earlier that day.

“Ready to go home, Doctor?” asked a crew member, slapping McCoy on the back.

“Uh, yeah, sure” said McCoy, somewhat sarcastically.

The crew member smiled at him.

“Well, it was great serving with you” he said, then disappeared down the hall.

“Yeah, great serving with you too” said McCoy after him, before rolling his eyes and turning his attention to the view outside. 

He watched as people exited the ship and climbed into shuttles, some never to return to space, while others would be back the very next week.

The enterprise had just finished its five year mission and for the first time in those five years, McCoy actually had no intention of getting off the ship.

Not because he loved space, but because he didn’t have anywhere to go.

Kirk, who knew about McCoy’s issues with his wife had offered him a place to stay, but McCoy assured him that he had it handled when in reality he just didn’t want to be a burden to Kirk.

“Doctor, I see you are still aboard this ship. What troubles you?”

McCoy turned to see a familiar face.

“Nothings troubling me, you green blooded fool” said McCoy, bluntly.

He tried to walk past Spock, but Spock stopped him.

“I may be green blooded, but I am no fool.”

“Guess you’re right, but you aren’t very good at telling emotions.”

Spock raised an eyebrow.

At that moment Kirk appeared, a clipboard in his hands and a confused look on his face.

“Bones, why haven’t you gotten off the ship? According to my readings, you were supposed to be on shuttle 23 which left some fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, guess I must have missed it. I’ll get on the next one.”

He tried heading for the door again, but this time both Spock and Kirk cut him off.

“You don’t have anywhere to go, do you?” asked Kirk.

“Damn it, Jim. I already missed one shuttle; don’t make me miss another!”

“McCoy” said Kirk.

“Step aside Jim.”

Kirk looked to Spock and nodded.

“I’m really sorry, Doctor” said Kirk.

“Really sorry about what?” asked McCoy, slightly confused.

Kirk pulled a hypo from his pants pocket and jabbed it into McCoy’s neck. 

“That” said Kirk.

“What in the devil did you give me?” said McCoy, swaying where he stood.

“A slight muscle relaxant, but don’t worry, it’ll ware off in a couple of hours” said Spock

“Are you out of your mi-" said McCoy, slumping into Kirk's arms.

Spock looked at Kirk, who smiled, obviously satisfied that his plan had worked. 

“Captain, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Doctor McCoy is not going to be very happy with you when he wakes up” 

Kirk looked at the unconscious McCoy and shrugged, “I think I can handle it."

"Just make sure you actually go through with your plan and get him on a shuttle" said Spock. 

"I will."


	2. Wake Me Up When It's All Over

McCoy opened his eyes and as his surroundings came into view, he realized he wasn't on the enterprise anymore, but a much smaller ship with eighteen to twenty other people. 

One of which was Kirk.

“Why’d you do it?” McCoy asked him.

“Well, I couldn't just leave you there looking all pathetic” said Kirk, smiling.

“Sure you could have” replied McCoy.

He yawned and stretched his arms, obviously tired from the side effects of the medication.

“You know, in all my years of being a doctor that was the first time I've had that medicine used on me. It’s pretty damn powerful. I almost feel bad for the patients I've administered that to.”

Kirk laughed, “Yeah, it sucks.”

“When did I use it on you?” asked McCoy.

“When you helped-“

“Helped you sneak onto the Enterprise. That’s right” said McCoy, finishing Kirk’s sentence.

“Those were the days” said Kirk.

“They sure were” replied McCoy, sighing.

Suddenly, a voice came over the loudspeaker.

“Attention Starfleet members, we will be landing in San Francisco in a couple of minutes. Please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened and enjoy the view.”

McCoy stared out the window as the familiar sight of the ocean came into view followed by the outline of San Francisco on the horizon.

As the shuttle landed, McCoy and Kirk got off, to much praise from the awaiting crowd.

The two of them tried walking to Kirk's car, but Kirk kept getting stopped by admiring fan girls. 

Kirk happily obliged much to McCoy's disapproval. 

"I thought it was going to be the next damn day by the time we got out of there" said McCoy, climbing into the passengers seat of Kirk's truck after the last of the girls had gone.

Kirk shrugged.

"I can't help the fact that girls love me."

McCoy rolled his eyes.

"Smart ass" he said, as the two of them drove to Kirk's house.

It was a half an hour drive through the city and then another twenty minutes along the beach front.

After what seemed like forever, Kirk pulled into the driveway of a large white house, which was obviously very old, but was perfect for someone like Kirk.

"Welcome home" said Kirk, getting out of the car and opening the door for McCoy.

"If you're going to act like that, I'm going to leave" said McCoy.

Kirk laughed.

"Come on Bones, have a sense of humor!" said Kirk, punching him in the shoulder and walking up the steps of the front porch to the front door.

McCoy rolled his eyes and followed him.

Kirk unlocked the door and McCoy was shocked to see how little furniture was actually in the house.

"I know it's not much, but it works" said Kirk, noticing McCoy's wandering eyes.

"I bet it does" said McCoy, taking a seat on the couch.

"That's where you'll be sleeping" said Kirk, dissapearing down the hall.

"You don't have another bedroom?"

"Nope!" Kirk yelled.

McCoy shrugged.

"Guess this'll have to do" he said, leaning back.


	3. Reminiscing

_“You're worthless, McCoy. You’ll never do anything with your life.”_

McCoy woke suddenly.

He looked around the room, and realizing it had just been a nightmare, sat up and put his head in his hands.

He breathed deeply and grabbed his shirt.

Kirk was woken up by the front door opening.

“McCoy?” he asked, sleepily, making his way down the hall and into the living room.

The front door was wide open and Kirk could see McCoy sitting on the front porch, with his head leaned against a pole, staring up at the sky.

“You know, when Joanna was little, she and I used to sit out on the front porch and just stare up at the sky. She loved space. Was always talking about it which Jocelyn absolutely hated” said McCoy with a laugh.

Kirk walked outside and took a seat next to McCoy on the porch.

“You okay?” he asked.

“To be completely honest, no” replied McCoy, not taking his eyes off the night sky.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Kirk wasn’t expecting him to say yes since the last time they had really talked about his past relationship all he had said was that his wife “had taken the whole damn planet in the divorce” and had "left him with nothing but his bones," but McCoy nodded.

Kirk went inside and made some coffee for the two of them and then prepared himself for what McCoy was going to tell him.

"Joanna was the most beautiful little girl. Her birth was a nightmare and I hated seeing Jocelyn in that much pain, but when she arrived, I was just in awe over how something so tiny and new could be so beautiful”

He took a sip of his coffee and then continued.

“As she grew older, it was evident that she had inherited Jocelyn’s stubbornness”

He rolled his eyes, but smiled as he did so.

“But she was so smart and she was always asking questions. Many of which neither Jocelyn nor I could answer,”

“I remember one time when she was five years old, she broke her arm falling out of a tree, and this was when I was an intern at the hospital so luckily I was the one that got to take care of her. Jocelyn was in tears, but Joanna had the biggest smile on her face and it was almost as if she hadn't realized what had happened, you know?”  


Kirk nodded.

“During her x-ray all she cared about was what bone she had broken and how many bones were in the human body and what they were all called. It was absolutely hysterical. I couldn't keep a straight face which made Jocelyn furious, but after a while she started laughing too.”

Remembering this certain memory caused McCoy to laugh out loud, but his face quickly grew sad and he stared up at the sky again.

“At that time, I felt like I was on top of the world. I had a beautiful wife and daughter and my medical career finally seemed like it was heading in the right direction. Little did I know how quickly it was all going to disappear.”

Kirk got up to make some more coffee, and then returned to hear the rest of McCoy’s story.

“I had just finished medical school and was interning at the local hospital so I was being called into work a lot more. Jocelyn didn’t like this and we fought a lot. There was one night where I came home and we fought until our voices were so loud that we woke up Joanna. Jocelyn was quick to apologize for all the fighting and took Joanna in her arms and put her back to sleep, but not without giving me a dirty look and spending the rest of the night ignoring me,”

“Two months passed, and the fighting kept getting worse and worse. Jocelyn claimed that I didn’t care about her or Joanna because I was spending so much time at the hospital, to which I explained, that I did indeed care about them, but it was my job so it wasn’t like I had a choice."

"Shortly before Joanna’s sixth birthday, I felt something was up because Jocelyn and I hadn’t fought in a long time, and when I wasn’t working she’d leave me alone with Joanna for hours at a time, returning late at night after Joanna had already fallen asleep. I’d ask her where she’d been to which she’d say “I was working” and I believed her every single time, but deep down, I just knew that she wasn’t working, but I couldn’t figure out what else she could be doing.”

“Was she having an affair?” asked Kirk.

“Yeah,” replied McCoy, “she was.”

Kirk didn’t know what to say. 

He had been with tons of women and had had his heart broken on many occasions, but he had yet to feel the pain that cheating left on a person.

“One night I came home late from the hospital and there was a truck parked in the driveway. No one ever came to our house, and if they did, they never came unannounced so I knew something was up. I sat in my own car for a moment and just watched the house, waiting for anything out of the ordinary to happen. It wasn’t long before the front door opened and a man walked out, buttoning his shirt as he left. Jocelyn appeared in the doorway after him and said something as he walked away from the house. I couldn’t hear what she said but he turned around and ran up the steps and grabbed my wife and lifted her up in the air and kissed her. I wanted right then and there to get out of the car and beat the living shit out of him, but there was something holding me back.”

“Joanna?”

McCoy looked at Kirk and nodded.

“He left some ten minutes later and I ducked down as his car passed mine. Once I knew he was gone, I got out of the car and found Jocelyn waiting for me. She came up to me and kissed me hard on the mouth and whispered how much she loved me. I almost burst out laughing because she never told me she loved me,”

“Weeks went by and there was no sign of the man, but I knew she was still seeing him because she’d be gone when I’d get home from work. Talk about bad parenting. Who leaves their six year old home alone?”

Kirk laughed.

“Anyway, one night it was extremely busy at the hospital, and I decided it would be a good time to see if she was in fact still seeing him. I called Jocelyn up and told her I was going to be late, which I was, but not as late as she thought. When the last patient had left, I got in my car and drove home and guess what I found?”

“The truck parked in your driveway.”

“Yeah, but this time, the man was in my front yard and was playing with Joanna while Jocelyn watched from the kitchen window.”

McCoy stood up and put his hands in his pockets.

“I should have just let it go, Jim. I should have just let it go, but I didn’t. I turned the car around and drove to a bar and got wasted." 

He paused and looked up at the night sky once more, “I don’t remember much from that night except Jocelyn pushing me off the man and Joanna screaming and crying in the background and then the metal bars of a jail cell."

“You went to jail?”

“Yeah, turns out the guy Jocelyn was seeing was a starfleet captain.”

“Oh yeah, that’ll do it” said Kirk, rolling his eyes.

“Not to mention, I was super drunk, but that’s beside the point. As I sat in my cell that night, all I could think about was my daughter's face when Jocelyn would try to explain to her what happened, and how she would cry out how much she wanted me and how much I didn't care about her." "Did you get out of jail?" said Kirk. "Well, obviously, if I'm here right now, telling you this story." Kirk stared down at his empty coffee cup. "I'll be right back" he said, realizing he was a lot more tired than he thought he was. 

When he returned, McCoy said “I was in jail on a $3,000 dollar bail. I knew Jocelyn wasn’t about to bail me out and I was sure she’d told everyone at the hospital what I’d done so I was almost certain I’d lost my job and every friend I’d made there. I ended up having to call my father and ask him for money. He cussed me out on the phone, said I was a useless son and husband, but ultimately decided to bail me out,”

“Once out, I had nowhere to go. I had lost my family, my job, everything. So, what did I do? I went and drank. Not enough to get drunk, but enough to ease the pain. It was then that I saw a flyer for Starfleet and having no other choice, I decided to join. The very next day, I would receive the divorce papers in the mail with a note at the bottom that said “Your worthless, McCoy. You’ll never do anything with your life.”

“Well, you sure proved her wrong, but one question, how did you join Starfleet if the guy you hit was a captain?” said Kirk.

McCoy smiled, “It's a little thing I like to call luck."

Kirk smiled back.

“Do you know what happened to Jocelyn?”

“Last I heard she was remarried and expecting another baby” replied McCoy, sitting down next to Kirk again.

“But who knows if that’s true.”

“And Joanna?”

“I don’t know what happened to Joanna” replied McCoy, his voice stuttering and tears filling his eyes.

Kirk laid a hand on McCoy’s shoulder.

“I miss her so much, Jim” said McCoy, tears falling down his cheeks.

“I know you do” said Kirk, biting his lip as he didn’t really know what else to say.

So instead, he just sat with McCoy as he wept.

In the nine years Kirk had known him, he had never seen the doctor this distraught.

“Why aren't you asleep?” asked McCoy after a while.

“Like I said before, I couldn't just leave you there looking all pathetic.”

McCoy laughed and began wiping away tears.

“I’m sorry you have to see me like this. I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s okay”

McCoy looked at Kirk and smiled.

“I understand.”

“Well, now that that’s over with, why don’t you go to sleep.”

“Are you sure?” asked Kirk, “Because I really don’t mind sitting out here with you.”

McCoy nodded.

Kirk stood up and gave him a pat on the back and then turned to walk into the house.

“Hey Jim”

“Yeah?” asked Kirk, stopping in the doorway.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it”

Kirk smiled at him, and then headed inside, leaving him sitting on the porch staring up at the sky.


	4. Thank You

“Hey, you feeling better?” asked Kirk, walking into the living room the next morning.

When there was no answer, he directed his attention to the couch where McCoy had slept that night, but inside of finding McCoy, he found blankets that were neatly folded and a note lying on the coffee table.

Kirk picked up the note and read it over quickly.

 

  _Dear Kirk,_

 

_Thank you for everything. You really are the greatest guy in the world. I’m sorry to leave you so soon, but I have to see her. I have to make things right. Hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your car._

 

_-McCoy_

 

“McCoy, what are you doing?” said Kirk, setting the note aside and making himself a cup of coffee.


	5. Reunited

Meanwhile, McCoy was pulling up in front of the house he had shared with his wife and daughter. 

He was surprised he even remembered where it still was after having not been there for so many years. 

The house was a large blue house with a porch much like Kirk’s.

The front of the house was surrounded by a white picket fence, while a larger fence covered the back.

The house looked vacant except for the same truck parked in the driveway.

“So that’s who she married. I should have known” said McCoy to himself.

He stared around the yard which was scattered with toys, toys he recognized as not belonging to Joanna.

“Jesus, how many more kids did she have?”

He parked his car, got out, and headed to the back of the house where he knew he wouldn't be seen.

He creeped along the side of the house, trying as hard as possible not to make any noise as to attract any attention, when suddenly he stepped on a toy spaceship which went off almost immediately.

He picked it up, turned it off and was setting it down when he heard a voice, a voice he recognized all too well.

“Don’t move!” 

McCoy turned slightly.

“I’m warning you. I have a phaser and I will shoot!”

“There’ll be no need for that” said McCoy, turning around fully and looking into the face of his daughter.

“Dad?” she said, shocked. 

The phaser slipped from her fingers and landed on the ground in front of her, but her eyes stayed glued on her father.

“Hello Joanna” said McCoy.

Once Joanna got over the initial shock, she asked “what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see you”

“No, no, this can’t be happening. I haven’t seen you in nine years. You can’t just show up here expecting everything to be okay.”

“I’m not expecting everything to be okay, which is why I came to make things better.”

Joanna didn’t even hesitate with her next words, “Dad, you have to leave.”

“Joanna, don’t do this.”

She started to walk away from him, but he followed her.

“Leave me alone.”

“Can we please just talk about this?”

“Yeah, you know what, let’s talk. You left me! You left me and you never said goodbye.”

“I didn’t have a choice” said McCoy, raising his voice.

“Sure you did. You got drunk because you found out mom was cheating on you and then you beat up the guy, the guy who now happens to be my stepfather. Sounds like you had a choice to me.”

“Joanna, I was upset. I didn’t know what else to do!”

“You could have stayed. How about that?”

“You know I couldn’t have.”

Joanna rolled her eyes.

“Sorry dad, but I don’t have time for this.”

She turned her back on him and began walking away.

McCoy stood there in shock, trying to think of a way to bring her back.

“SPACE!” he yelled.

“What did you say?” asked Joanna, turning around and walking backwards so that she was facing him. 

“Space.”

“What does space have to do with this?”

“That’s where I've been in case you were wondering and that’s where you always wanted to be.”

“Oh great, here we go again, you putting ideas into my head.”

“No, this is not me putting ideas into your head. This is you doing it to yourself. Remember when you were little?”

Joanna turned around and kept on walking.

“An-and we used to sit out on the front porch and stare up at the sky and you’d say how much you wanted to go up there. Well, I went up there, and it was amazing and not a day went by where I didn’t think about you. I love you Joanna and I never meant to hurt you. Please don’t leave me” he said almost desperately.

Joanna stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

“You really care about making things right, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Joanna stepped towards him.

McCoy thought she was going to slap him, but instead she wrapped her arms around him and began to cry.

“Oh dad, I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry for not believing you cared. Mom said you didn’t, but I knew you did. I would pray to the heavens every single night that you’d return and I guess I finally got my wish because here you are.”

McCoy hugged her tightly as he too began to cry.


	6. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

“I don’t believe it. I don’t fucking believe it.”

Joanna let go of her father and as McCoy looked up, he came face to face with his ex-wife.

“Hello Jocelyn” he said. 

“I thought I told you never to show your face here again?” said Jocelyn.

“Well, I’m sorry, but this house once belonged to me and I’m pretty sure she belonged to me once too” said McCoy, motioning towards Joanna who was still standing beside him.  
Jocelyn rolled her eyes.

“McCoy, why do you have to make things so difficult for yourself? It’s obvious you’re not wanted here and literally all I have to do is pick up my communicator and tell them someone is trespassing on my property and you’ll end up in the same situation as last time.”

“Oh, but I won’t.”

“Why’s that?”

McCoy dug into his pocket and pulled out his Starfleet recognition badge and handed it to Jocelyn.

“You joined Starfleet?” asked Jocelyn.

“Yeah, your little saying at the bottom of the divorce papers really inspired me.”

“What was it again?”

“Your worthless, McCoy. You’ll never do anything with your life” said McCoy, proudly.

“Well, you are still worthless, but I guess you did do something with your life.”

Jocelyn handed him back his badge.

“So, why did you decide to show your face again?”

“I came back to make things right.”

Jocelyn looked annoyed..

“Make things right? McCoy, things have been right ever since you left. The only thing you’re going to do is make them wrong again.”

McCoy opened his mouth to speak, but Joanna cut him off.

“That’s not true.”

Jocelyn looked taken aback.

“What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

“I can’t believe you’re siding with him. He left you because he cared more about the medical field than he did his own child, and yet, here we stand, and you’re standing with him over your own mother.”

Joanna tried to argue with her, but McCoy pushed her behind him so she wouldn't get involved.

“Jocelyn, I’m not trying to cause any problems, honestly. I just came here to make things right and to see how my daughter was.”

“Of course, you had to come and see how poor sweet little Joanna is. Bet you never wondered how I was.”

“I-“

“Exactly, you didn’t care. Well, I did. For weeks after you left, I cried myself to sleep every night, just hoping and praying that we could somehow resolve this.”

“Jocelyn, you sent me the divorce papers the very next day and you’re saying I’m the one that didn’t care?”

Jocelyn put her head in her hands.

“Okay, tell you what, just give me five minutes to say what I need to say. At the end of the five minutes, if I’m not gone, you have my permission to call someone to get me removed."

McCoy stuck out his hand for Jocelyn to shake.

“Deal” she said, shaking it, “but I swear to god, you better be gone after those five minutes are up.”

“I will be, don’t worry” said McCoy, turning his back to Joanna and looking Jocelyn right in the eyes.

“I’m sorry that our relationship was so shitty that you had to go and cheat on me, but you have no idea how you hurt me. You thought I hurt you? Wrong. It was the other way around. How would you like to come home late from work and see another man’s truck parked in your driveway? Or even worse, how would you like to see your own daughter playing with that man, but instead of being able to have a nice conversation with my wife, I have to go to the bar and get drunk in order to ease all the pain?”

Jocelyn stood motionless as she absorbed McCoy’s words.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Say something!” said McCoy.

“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”

“I didn’t think you’d listen.”

Tears formed in Jocelyn’s eyes and she stared down at the ground.

“I’m sorry I hurt you McCoy, but you hurt me just as bad. Do you know how hard it is explaining to a nine year old why their dad is getting taken away and then having to hold them at night while they cry?”

“I know, that was wrong of me, but I’m here to make things better. Why can’t you just accept that?”

Jocelyn looked from McCoy to her daughter and sighed.

“I guess I can do it for Joanna.”

McCoy smiled, stepped forward, and hugged her.

Jocelyn didn’t know what to do so she hugged him back..

“I may not like you very much, but I do love you” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

They parted and Jocelyn said, “Well, your five minutes are up. Better get going.”

McCoy thanked her for giving him time and turned his attention to Joanna, who was crying again.

“There, there, we’ll see each other again. Don’t you worry.”

“You promise?”

“I promise” said McCoy.

Joanna hugged him tightly, then let him go, and went to stand with her mother.

McCoy had almost made it to the front of the house when he became aware of someone else standing with Joanna and Jocelyn. 

“What’s he doing here?” McCoy heard the new person say.

Joanna, knowing there was going to be a confrontation got in front of her stepfather, and said “he just came by to say hello to me.”

“I thought you told that scum never to come back here?” he asked Jocelyn.

“She did, but he came back to make things right. He’s in Starfleet now” said Joanna, quickly intervening.

“Oh wow, he’s in Starfleet. What’s he do? Is he a janitor?”

“No, he’s a doctor” said Joanna.

“An actual doctor, you say?”

He stepped back and Joanna noticed him reaching for his shotgun.

“No, don’t!” she screamed, jumping in front of him.

He pulled back on the trigger and a single bullet shot right past Joanna’s head and hit McCoy in the shoulder.

“Let’s see if the doctor can fix that” said Joanna’s stepfather, as McCoy screamed out in pain, and fell to his knees.

Joanna began screaming and tried running towards her father, but Jocelyn stopped her.

“Mom, what are you doing? Let me go! He just shot dad!” she said, fighting against her mother’s hold on her.

Jocelyn sighed, “I’m sorry Joanna, but your stepfather is right. McCoy is scum and that’s all he’ll ever be.”

Joanna couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Her mother, who had just re-accepted McCoy back into their lives, was now going against him as a way to please her new husband.

“I’m sorry, Dad!” Joanna screamed as Jocelyn dragged her into the house.


	7. Bleeding Out

McCoy sat there in complete shock as Joanna’s screaming echoed through his mind.

He could barely feel his left shoulder and he knew he was bleeding a lot, but he still managed to stand up and make it to the car. 

He took off his jacket and made a makeshift tourniquet to put around his shoulder.

He put the key in the ignition and drove off, the sound of Joanna’s screaming still present in his ears.

The pain was excruciating and more than once, he had to pull over to reapply the tourniquet, but still he managed to make it to Kirk’s house, some forty five minutes away.

“There you are! I was worried something had happened to you” said Kirk, when McCoy walked in the door.

McCoy ignored his words and headed straight to the bathroom, undoing his tourniquet as he walked. 

He dropped his blood soaked jacket on the bathroom floor and took his shirt off so that he could examine the wound in the mirror.

Kirk appeared in the doorway, his mouth agape.

“Oh my god, did you get shot?”

“Yeah,” said McCoy, “but it’s no big deal. Nothing a little peroxide and some bandages won’t fix.”

“McCoy, you have to go to the hospital. It looks really bad.”

“Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Now about that peroxide and those bandages?” 

“I’ll go get them.”

Kirk darted from the room.

Kirk returned seconds later with what McCoy needed, to see him clean his own wound and bandage it.  


“Can I borrow one of your tops?”

“Of course” said Kirk, digging into the laundry and handing him the first shirt he could find.

McCoy stumbled into the living room and collapsed on the couch.

He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out one of his hypo needles.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” said Kirk, his hands already prepared to grab it.

“Oh and why not? It worked the first time.”

“McCoy, you got shot! That’s a little different than last time.”

“I’m the doctor here. Let me do my job.”

Kirk, knowing well, that he wouldn't win, sat back.

McCoy jabbed the hypo into his arm and was out within a few seconds.


	8. Coming To

It was only an hour or so before McCoy woke up again, but it seemed like forever to Kirk. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Like crap.”

“Told you you shouldn’t have given yourself that shot.”

“Eh, it helped ease some of the pain.”

McCoy tried sitting up, but Kirk made him lie back down.

“You should rest.”

“I’ll rest when I’m tired.”

“McCoy, please.”

McCoy saw the desperation in Kirk’s eyes so he obliged.

“So, what exactly happened?”

McCoy hesitated before telling Kirk everything because he knew how Kirk would react, but by the end of his story, he was actually surprised at how calm Kirk had remained. 

“Wow, all that and you were just trying to do the right thing.”

“I guess that’s what happens. It was a stupid idea to think that Jocelyn and I could get along.”

“Well, she did say she loved you, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, but I have no idea if she actually meant it or not. You never can tell with her.”


	9. What Have You Done

“What was that noise?” asked Jocelyn’s son as the three of them entered the house.

“Nothing, sweetie” replied Jocelyn, swooping up the boy in her arms.

“Tell you what, why don’t you go play with your brother in the other room for a little while longer and then I’ll come play with you guys?”

The little boy nodded, and Jocelyn kissed him on the forehead. She set him down to return to the other room.

“I can’t believe you” said Joanna, as she was told to take a seat at the kitchen table, “he came all the way here to apologize and make things right and you just stabbed him in the back.”

She paused, then looking at her stepfather said “Literally!” 

“Oh Joanna, now is not the time to be angry” he said, cleaning off the phaser as he spoke.

“So, why’d you do it?”

“It was pay back for last time” replied her stepfather.

"Last time! Are you kidding me? You were the one that started the fight!"

“Don’t be ridiculous. You were six years old. There’s no way you’d be able to remember who started the fight.”

“Oh, you want to bet!”

“Joanna, sweetie, that was ten years ago. I don’t think it’s important-“

“No, I want to hear what she has to say” said her stepfather, putting the phaser down and taking a seat across from her at the table.

"At the time, I still had no idea who you were, but my mom told me that you were a friend and that I'd be seeing a lot of you so I better get to know you," 

She looked to her stepfather to see if he was actually listening, which he was. 

"I didn't think anything of it until my dad showed up drunk and tried talking to you. You, of course, didn't listen to him and shoved him so he punched you." 

“You’ve got it all wrong. You see, when your back was turned, he punched me first.”

“Bullshit,” said Joanna, “I know what I saw and no one is going to tell me any differently.”

Jocelyn’s eyes widened, but her husband simply laughed.

“You’re like your mother, so stubborn, but unlike her, you care about those who try and do us wrong.”

“My father has made many mistakes in his life, but he has never done me any wrong.”

“Oh, you know that’s not true” said Jocelyn.

“Yes, he left me, and yes I hated him for it, but he came back, didn’t he?”

“Well, yeah, but-“

“But nothing. He came back and that’s all that matters.”

Jocelyn didn’t say anything, but nodded at her husband, who stood up, returning a moment later with the communicator

“Mom, what is he doing?” asked Joanna, as he flipped open the communicator and began speaking. 

“What I should have done.”

“Hello, this is William Tanner, address 1652 Pine Drive. I would like to report a disturbance on the property.”

“You’re calling the officials on him?” yelled Joanna.

Her stepfather put his finger up to his mouth to quiet her, but Joanna jumped up and began screaming in his face.

“Jocelyn, take her out of here” he said, motioning towards the other room.

The last thing Joanna heard before she was ushered out of the room was her stepfather confirming that it was in fact Leonard McCoy who had been on the property.

“Mom, I’ve got to go warn him. He has a right to know.”

“There will be none of that. You will stay right here and we will pretend none of this ever happened. Now go to your room before something else happens.”

Joanna wanted so badly to curse her mother, but decided against it and instead she did what she was told and headed upstairs to her room.

Moments later, the officials showed up and Joanna watched from her bedroom window as her stepfather went to greet them.


	10. Gotta Get Going

Three days had passed since the incident with Jocelyn and Joanna. McCoy hadn't said one word about either of them, but was instead focusing on getting his shoulder back to normal.

He was in the bathroom, redoing the bandages when Kirk called him, his voice frantic.

“Uh, Bones, you’re going to want to have a look at this.”

McCoy entered the room and his eyes widened as he became aware of his picture plastered on a screen on the wall.

“Officials are on the lookout for this man, 35 year old Leonard McCoy after a dispute broke out at his ex-wife’s home. He is charged with both trespassing and battery on a Starfleet captain. He may be violent so if you see him do not approach him, but please contact your local officials immediately.”

His picture disappeared and the next big news story began.

Kirk pressed a button and the screen turned off.

“I don’t believe it” said McCoy, shaking his head slowly. 

“What are you going to do?” asked Kirk.

“Well, I can’t stay here” replied McCoy, standing up and getting his stuff together.

“You can’t go out there either. You’ll be a sitting duck. They’ll catch you right away.”

“Which is why I’m going somewhere far away from here.”

“And where’s that?” 

“Space.”

“Oh no” said Kirk, standing up and blocking the front door so McCoy couldn't leave.

“Kirk, it’s the only option I've got. I stay here, and you’ll get in trouble and I can’t have that. I go out there and like you said, they’ll get me. The only place left for me to go is back up there.”

“Okay, well in that case, I’m driving” said Kirk, stepping aside and grabbing his keys.


	11. The Decoy

Kirk made sure to drive at a normal speed as not to attract the attention of any officers that may have been on the road.

Upon arriving at Starfleet, he parked the car in a secluded area and was preparing to get out when McCoy stopped him.

“This is as far as you’ll go with me” said McCoy.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“Kirk, you didn’t think I’d let you come with me, did you?”

“Well, actually I did.”

McCoy rolled his eyes, “Why do you have to be so god damn stubborn?”

“Because I care about you and I’m not letting you go down by yourself."

“Starfleet trusts me and I know they’ll protect me so I really don’t need you th-“

“McCoy” said Kirk.

“Okay, fine” said McCoy, getting out of the car.

“I knew you’d listen to me.”

“Why’s that?”

“You always do.”

“Not always.”

“Well, most of the time.”

The two of them walked throughout Starfleet Academy, and just as McCoy had said, no one looked at him any differently.

When they arrived at the landing platform, the man in charge of letting people onto the shuttles looked at the two of them with a surprised expression on his face.

“What are you two doing here? You’re not requested for another six months!”

“Duty calls” said McCoy, walking past him and onto the shuttle.

Kirk was about to walk past him too when someone called his name.

He turned around to see Spock walking towards him.

He sighed, then went and met Spock halfway.

“Hello Spock, how’s the break treating you?”

“Quite well, Captain.”

“That’s good to hear. Now I really must be going.”

He turned, but Spock stopped him.

“If it is Doctor McCoy you are aiding, I request you stay behind.”

“Oh god, not you too.”

Spock raised an eyebrow. 

“How do you even know about that?”

“The news.”

“You-you watched the news?”

Spock nodded, obviously satisfied with himself.

“What is this world coming to?” said Kirk, looking up to the sky.

There was a loud noise behind him and he turned just in time to see McCoy’s shuttle leaving.

“Great, look what you've done” said Kirk.

He turned to look at Spock, just in time for him to pinch Kirk in the neck.

“I’m sorry, Captain, but the doctor is on his own now.”

“I now understand why McCoy doesn’t like you very much” said Kirk before blacking out.


	12. Realizations

About twenty minutes later, Kirk awoke in Starfleet’s sickbay.

He sat up, but a nurse quickly pushed him down.

“Oh no, you’re not allowed to leave just yet.”

“I got Vulcan nerve pinched, not stabbed. I’m pretty sure I can go.”

“No, you can’t. Spock’s orders.”

“Why, that-“

He stopped suddenly as he noticed a young girl walk past, wiping tears from her eyes.

The nurse began speaking again, but her words weren’t heard by Kirk.

He stood up and walked out of sickbay, ignoring her sudden requests for him to come back.

Kirk walked down the hall and found the girl sitting up against a wall, her head in her hands.

“Excuse me, are you alright?”

The girl looked up and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You most certainly are not” said Kirk, taking a seat beside her, “why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t even know you.”

Kirk shrugged, “tell me anyway.”

The girl wasn’t one to tell things to strangers, but this guy seemed harmless so she decided it was safe.

“My mother and stepfather have been fighting nonstop and I was getting sick of it so this morning when they were still asleep, I went into their bedroom and took my stepfather’s keys. When I started the car, they woke up and chased me down the road, but I sped off without looking back. I drove all the way here, knowing that in a matter of minutes, they’d be hot on my trail and probably get the officials involved, but I didn’t care. I only had one intention and it was to make it to Starfleet."

The girl wiped away tears.

"When I found the landing platform, they told me I couldn't get aboard because I wasn't a member of Starfleet. I tried to argue with them, but they threatened to put me under arrest so I left."

“Wow, that’s quite a story” said Kirk.

“Yeah, it sure is and to think all I was doing was looking for my dad.”

Kirk instantly perked up. 

“What’s your name?”

“Uh, Joanna, why?”

“Joanna, as in Joanna McCoy?”

“Yeah.”

“Come with me” said Kirk, standing up.

“Why? Where are you going?”

“To get you on that ship.”


	13. Getting Aboard

Kirk raced down the hallway with Joanna trailing behind him.

“I don’t understand, why are you helping me?”

“Because I know you’re father and I know how much you mean to him.”

“Wait, you know my dad?”

“Yeah, I was his captain for five years.”

Joanna hardly had time to process his words because before she knew it they were already at the landing deck.

The moment the man who allowed boarding saw Joanna, he walked towards her and Kirk, saying “Oh no, not you again. Security!”

“Frank, it’s fine. She’s with me” said Kirk, reassuringly. 

“What the hell is going on here? I mean, first she asks for McCoy and now she’s hanging out with you. I just don’t get it.” 

“There’s not anything to get. She’s just a girl looking for her father. Please, just let us on board.”

Frank looked from Kirk to Joanna and then groaned in frustration.

“Fine, but if I lose my job, I’m blaming it on you.”

“That’s great” said Kirk, climbing onto the shuttle.

“Thank you” said Joanna as she climbed in after it.

“Sure” said Frank, sarcastically, as the doors closed and the shuttle began to take off.


	14. Talking Your Way Out Of Trouble

“Do not leave my side once we’re on the ship, okay?” said Kirk.

Joanna nodded.

Kirk noticed she was gripping her seat rather tightly.

"Don't be scared. It's amazing!”

It wasn't long before San Francisco disappeared from view and the air began to get cold.

Joanna’s eyes were glued to the window and as they got father and farther up, her grip on the seat loosened.

As the enterprise came into view, Joanna turned to Kirk and said, “You were right. It is amazing!”

Kirk smiled, “Told ya.”

“Hey, I never got your name.” she said, not taking her eyes off the ship.

“Jim Kirk, but you can just call me Kirk.”

She nodded.

“Well, thank you for helping me out, Kirk.”

“Don’t mention it.”

 

The shuttle landed aboard the Enterprise and Kirk and Joanna got off.

They received many strange looks and people kept asking Kirk why he was there when he hadn't been requested, but Kirk ignored them and headed straight towards the sickbay where he knew McCoy would be.

While making their way to sickbay, Kirk noticed Spock coming his way, and directed Joanna in another direction.

“Who was that?”

“Someone I don’t really want to talk to right now.”

Joanna laughed.

They rounded the corner and made their way to the elevator.

“Jim Kirk, you stop right there.”

“Damn it” muttered Kirk under his breath, turning around to see Captain Stevens, another starship Captain.

“What are you doing on my ship?”

“Excuse me?” said Kirk.

“This ship doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

“It’ll belong to me in six months’ time” replied Kirk.

Captain Stevens shrugged, “I guess, but for now it’s mine.”

Captain Stevens directed his attention to Joanna, “Now who’s this?”

He put his arms behind his back and began walking circles around her.

“I've never seen you before” he said.

“I’m not in Starfleet. Kirk was just showing me around for a school project.”

“A school project, eh?”

“It’s on all the different galaxies and I knew Kirk was a starship Captain so I asked if I could experience Space first hand.”

“I see” said Captain Stevens, looking up at Kirk with doubt in his eyes.

“Well, if that’s the case, then be on your way.”

“Thank you Sir” said Kirk, and he and Joanna walked away.

“Damn, where did you learn to lie like that?”

“My mom and stepfather lie all the time. I guess it comes naturally to me.”

The two of them took the elevator to deck six, and then headed straight for Sickbay.


	15. It's Not Me, It's You

Kirk walked into sickbay and saw McCoy wearing the familiar blue shirt that the doctors and nurses wore aboard the Enterprise and his shoulder was bandaged, with his left arm in a sling.

“Kirk, how the hell did you get on board? I thought Spock -“

"Wait, you told Spock to do that?"

McCoy nodded.

"I don't understand. There would have been no way for you guys to communicate beforehand."

"You'd be sur-"

He stopped when he saw Joanna come in after Kirk.

“Hi dad” she said.

“Joanna!” replied McCoy, surprised.

He walked over to her and hugged her, despite the sling.

“What are you doing here, sweetie?” he asked.

“I had to get away. They wouldn’t stop arguing. It was horrible!”

“Here, take a seat and tell me everything that happened.”

Joanna sat down and McCoy got her something to drink and then she told him what she had told Kirk.

“God, I’m so glad you’re okay” said McCoy after she had finished, “but how did you know where I’d be?”

“Well, given that your face is all over the news, I knew you wouldn’t be anywhere in plain sight so I just assumed you’d be up here.”

“Smart girl” said McCoy.

Joanna smiled.

“Well, would you like a tour of the sickbay?”

“I would love one!” said Joanna, standing up.

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

The three of them turned on the spot.

Standing in the doorway was Captain Stevens, two officials and Jocelyn and her husband.

“Mom” said Joanna, halfway frightened.

“Get behind me” said McCoy.

“Why, are you worried I’m going to hurt her?” said Joanna’s stepfather.

“No, but you might, which is why I’m being a good parent and trying to protect her.”

“Oh, cut the bullshit” said Jocelyn.

Kirk tried to interject, but Captain Stevens walked over to him.

“You, come with me. We have a lot to talk about.”

“Good luck” said Kirk to McCoy as he was led from the room.

“Thanks. I’m going to need it” replied McCoy.

Jocelyn laughed.

“So, why are you here? To claim Joanna or to arrest me?”

“Both, actually” said Jocelyn.

“So, you brought the officials into Space? That’s real smart.”

“Now don’t you get sassy with us” said one of the officers.

“I wasn’t, but if you’re going to arrest me, might as well do it now.”

“No, what are you doing?” whispered Joanna.

The officers walked over to McCoy, one moving Joanna away from him, and one sitting him down to make sure he couldn't leave since they couldn't handcuff him due to one of his arms being in a sling.

“Wow, I’m surprised you acted so calm” said Jocelyn, taking a seat across from him.

“Why are you doing this?” asked McCoy, anger in his voice.

“Because you don’t deserve her.”

“He deserves me more than you do” said Joanna.

“Take her out, please” said Jocelyn to the officer.

“No, no, please no!” 

“Then shut your mouth!” 

Joanna was silent.

“Okay, now back to you” she said, looking at McCoy, “Here’s the deal. I can have you arrested right now and sent to jail where you will rot because no one would be willing to bail your sorry ass out again or I can leave with Joanna and my husband if you promise to never interfere with my family again.”

“I would rather rot then never see my daughter again.”

“You heard him” said Jocelyn, standing up. 

The officer made McCoy stand up as well.

“Leonard McCoy, you are under arrest for trespassing and battery on a Starfleet Captain. Any last words?”

McCoy turned to Joanna.

“Out of everything I've done in my life, you were my greatest achievement. I love you.”

“Dad, no” said Joanna, starting to cry.

“I’m sorry, sweetie” said McCoy, tears welling up in his eyes.

The official led McCoy from the room.

Joanna racked her brain for anything that could help her father. 

She had already lost him once, but she wasn’t about to lose him again.

Suddenly, it came to her.

“Wait!” she yelled.

The official stopped in the doorway.

“You can’t arrest him” she said.

“Why not?” replied the officer.

“Because he didn’t do anything.”

She looked up at the officer who was holding onto her and politely asked him to let go of her, which he did.

“My dad was not trespassing nor did he hurt my stepfather. He came to see me and that asshole shot him and then made it seem like my dad did those things!” she said, pointing to her stepfather.

“Hey, that’s crazy talk” said her stepfather.

The officers looked from Joanna to her Stepfather.

“Where’s the proof?” asked the one, holding McCoy.

“Look at his shoulder” said Joanna.

“Do you mind?”

“Nope” said McCoy, removing the sling.

As he removed his shirt and the bandages came into view, the officer’s expressions began to change from ones of anger to ones of confusion. 

McCoy undid the bandages, revealing a large burn along his shoulder.

The officer near him walked away and met up with the other officer in front of Joanna’s stepfather.

"Did you shoot this man?" asked one of the officials. 

"I-I-well-"

"It's a simple yes or no question. Did you shoot him or didn't you?"

He inhaled deeply, "yes, but I can explain!" 

“Sure you can, to the judge” said the officers leading him out.

As McCoy put his shirt back on, Jocelyn walked over to Joanna and shoved her to the ground.

“Look what you’ve done. You’ve ruined everything!”

“Don't you dare touch her" said McCoy, trying to get between the two of them. 

He wasn't fast enough and Jocelyn shoved Joanna, causing her to fall to the floor.

Jocelyn turned as white as a sheet and looked as if she was going to pass out.

She grabbed onto a chair to stabilize herself.

“I can’t believe I just did that” she said, looking down at her hands and then at Joanna lying on the ground.

“I can’t believe you did either” said McCoy, helping Joanna up.

Joanna couldn’t even look her mother in the face, no matter how many times she tried to apologize. 

“Jocelyn, I think it’d be best you be going” said McCoy.

Jocelyn nodded, stood up and started to leave.

“Come on Joanna.”

Joanna looked to her father.

"It's your decision." he said.

Joanna sighed.

“I’m not going.”

Jocelyn stopped dead in her tracks and turned around so that she was facing her daughter.

“What?”

"I'm not going" Joanna said again.

“Joanna, you can’t stay here. It’s not healthy for you.”

“Well, neither is living with you and William.”

Jocelyn bit her lip.

“I’m staying with dad here on the Enterprise.”

“I know you're upset, but you’re not thinking rationally.”

“Yes, I am. I’ve made my decision and that’s that.”

“Joanna, please don’t do this to me.”

“I’m sorry Mom, but I know where my loyalties lie and they are not with you.”

Jocelyn turned away as she began to cry.

"Damn it" she said under her breath, knowing all too well that the only thing left to do was let Joanna stay.

She turned her attention back to Joanna, and even though it took every bit of strength she had, she said “Okay, you can stay."

Joanna’s eyes widened.

“Wait, are you serious?” she asked, her voice full of doubt.

“Yeah, there’s no use in arguing. Space may be diseased and this may not be the best life for you, but I don’t really have a choice, now do I?” said Jocelyn, her voice trembling and tears falling down her cheeks.

Joanna shook her head in disbelief.

Jocelyn approached McCoy first.

"Did you get what you wanted?" she asked, coldly.

McCoy nodded.

"Yes, I did."

She looked away from him, resentment in her eyes and went to Joanna.

“Goodbye Joanna” she said, hugging her daughter, but Joanna rejected the hug.

“No matter what you may think, I do love you and I will be thinking of you every day.”

She kissed her on the cheek and then left the room, without saying another word.


	16. To Boldly Go

Soon after, the Enterprise left its loading dock, taking everyone aboard into space.

"You're still here!" said Kirk, coming into the room shortly after take off and giving Joanna a high five.

"Indeed" said Joanna.

"What happened to you?" McCoy asked Kirk.

"Captain Stevens wanted to have a word with me."

"Well, what'd he say to you?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"I stunned him before he could even open his mouth."

"KIRK!" said McCoy, "you could be banned from Starfleet for doing that."

"Yes, I'm aware, but we're already in space, aren't we?"

He looked encouragingly at McCoy, who burst out laughing.

Joanna started laughing too.

"You're insane" said McCoy, as Kirk started to walk away.

Kirk stopped in the doorway and turned his attention to Joanna.

"Welcome aboard" he said, winking at her and then dissapearing from view.

 

That night, Joanna lay wide awake in her bed, the events of the last week filling her head.

She made sure her father was fast asleep, then left the room.

She wandered the ship, walking down the dark empty hallways and ending up in a large room with a window that peered out over the entire galaxy.

She took a seat and stared at the stars as they slowly passed.

“I thought I’d find you in here."

Joanna turned to see her father standing in the doorway.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah" said Joanna as McCoy took a seat beside her.

Noticing the pained expression in her eyes, he asked "Are you alright?"

Joanna shook her head.

“Not really, but I will be. Eventually.”

McCoy didn’t know what to say, so instead he directed her attention to the stars outside.

“When I first became a doctor, we were all read this poem, and the last two lines of the poem were _“though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”_

“That’s nice” said Joanna, smiling.

“Yes, it is.” replied McCoy, putting an arm around his daughter.

And with that, the two of them sat there, staring at the stars, just like they did when Joanna was a little girl.


End file.
